UMass students come out against bigot

By
Gerry Scoppettuolo
Boston

Published Dec 13, 2009 10:12 PM

Over 100 University of Massachusetts students and community supporters came out
here on Dec. 1 to protest the appearance near the UMass campus of the white
supremacist, anti-gay, anti-Semitic Fred Phelps and members of his Westboro
Church in Kansas.

Boston
World AIDS
Day protest
againstbigot
Fred Phelps.

WW photo: Gerry Scoppettuolo

Phelps, who is infamous for picketing the funerals of people who have died from
AIDS, had the audacity to come to the campus on World AIDS Day. But the
students were determined to turn out forcefully to condemn him and his bigoted
followers.

Edwin Melenciano, 24, an HIV outreach worker, typified the community outrage at
Phelps: “It’s important to oppose him and not lay back and stay
quiet. Not to oppose him would be to say he is right. We have to stand up to
him to show others the way.”

Terrell Amooson, president of the Student Government Association, was among the
elected student leadership that helped organize the rally. “I feel we
need to shed some light on the ignorance here and promote equal rights. Phelps
is a hypocrite for using God’s name to promote hate.”

The rally was organized and supported by the UMass LGBT Equality Coalition, the
International Socialist Organization, the Stonewall Warriors/IAC, New Era:
Movement in Motion and the Boston Youth Organizing Project.

Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers World.
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.